Abstract [en]

Background. The background overview of this research presented vulnerability as a contextual phenomenon in the encounter between nurse and patient. The essence of the concept of vulnerability appeared unclear, which indicates that there is a lack of knowledge about the concept of vulnerability.

Aim. The aim of the study was to describe the essence of the concept of vulnerability in a nursing social context, meaning the encounter between humans being.

Methods. The methods have been based on the model of conceptual analysis of Segesten (2011) and involved an inductive and a deductive qualitative approach.

Findings. The concept analysis resulted in the following findings: susceptibility to damage – heartache, pain of the soul, defenselessness; courage to be vulnerable – human dignity, perceptiveness; uncertain threats to life – betrayal of the nursing core, annihilated identity; the profound human existence – desire for immutability, a direction towards a definite change.

Conclusion. The essence of the meaning of vulnerability derives from man’s ever-changing existence. The changing existence gets its significance from threat to life, destroyed identity and betrayal of the nursing core, which is conceptualized by the vulnerability that arises in nursing care encounters, expressed in words like skinless, naked and defenseless.

Clinical significance. The study has contributed to clarifying the meaning of the concept of vulnerability within nursing professions by unveiling the word's various dimensions within different nursing contexts. The clinical implications for the nursing care, but also the general public education, is that the word’s meanings can develop the language from the perspective of vulnerability.